This invention relates to envelopes, and more particularly, to envelopes for the transfer of documents and things such as processed and unprocessed photographic film.
Photographers, both amateur and professional, utilize the services of photographic film processing laboratories for the development of exposed photographic film. Because a laboratory is typically distant from a photographer and prefers transactions involving bulk processing, the routine transaction between a photographer and a laboratory involves a local vendor of the services of the laboratory, such as a department store or photographic specialty shop. The photographer travels to the local vendor with exposed film, and contracts with the vendor for the transfer of the film to the laboratory, the processing and the return transfer. The photographer returns to the vendor at a time when the processing has been scheduled to be completed and the film returned, and, if the film has been returned, receives the processed film and pays the vendor for processing and handling. The vendor then pays the laboratory for the processing.
Because laboratories transact business with many vendors for the development of the film of multitudes of photographers, many laboratories require that exposed film be transferred in envelopes carrying information that includes an order number and identifies the vendor, the customer and the specific developing services desired. As an economy measure, the processed film is returned in the identical envelope. The photographer is given a receipt or claim check including the order number for rapid identification of the envelope upon its return to the vendor.
Because the envelope must be sealed before transfer to the laboratory, opened at the laboratory and resealed before return to the vendor, envelopes for the transfer of film have in the past included a flap having a small patch of tacky adhesive that provides a temporary seal of the envelope. The envelopes have also included receipts formed along the flaps that are separable from the flaps by the perforation of perforation lines therebetween.
While envelopes of this type have been of significant value, they have a variety of disadvantages, particularly with respect to the tacky adhesive utilized to seal the envelope. First, the tacky adhesive has an extremely limited useful life, preventing the effective resealing of the envelope more than a few times. Because photographers frequently store their film and prints in these envelopes, this is a significant shortcoming. Second, the patch of tacky adhesive may become ineffective immediately after first use by the vendor, if excessive pressure is applied to the tacky adhesive, because fibers may tear from the envelope and collect on the tacky adhesive. Third, the patch of tacky adhesive may not provide an effective seal at all, if insufficient pressure is applied, or if exposure of the patch prior to use of the envelope has resulted in the collection of debris on the patch. Fourth, the patch seals only a portion of the opening of the envelope, thereby permitting the film and other objects and things to escape the envelope.
In addition to the disadvantages of the tacky adhesive, the envelopes do not provide for a vendor receipt, or any receipt having the information as provided to the laboratory. If, as often happens, a photographer approaches the vendor for the return of processed film without having the photographer receipt or claim check with him, the vendor has no method for identifying the envelope to be given the photographer without randomly examining all the envelopes in his possession.